Nursery World has reported on warnings from English councils that up to one in 10 childcare providers could close this winter, and that as many as one in four are at risk in rural areas according to a survey by the County Councils Network (CCN)

Families in more remote areas are already limited by fewer childcare choices meaning that just a few closures could result in people having to travel much further or in some cases, not be able to access any childcare at all.

The study found that councils believe the Government’s interventions have helped stave off closures so far in 2020, but that providers have only ‘weathered the storm’ and will face financial difficulty without further support into the winter. 

Many councils could be left unable to fulfil their statutory duty to provide ‘sufficient’ childcare for residents, especially in more remote locations.

This could impact on economic recovery efforts if parents cannot find childcare close to where they live – especially if there are more local and national lockdowns.

To address this, they are calling on the Government to commit to ensuring financial support for the childcare sector until the end of the pandemic, with councils given the ability to direct funds to providers in areas where closures could have a major impact due to the smaller number of childcare services.

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Nursery World - Councils warn that a quarter of childcare providers could close in rural areas